Committee publication · Correspondence · 3 February 2026
Letter from the Minister for Small Businesses and Economic Transformation relating to the Department's resourcing for Horizon redress-related work, 23 January 2026
From: Business and Trade Committee
Inquiry: Post Office Horizon scandal: Justice for sub-postmasters
Summary
Minister Blair McDougall provides detailed staffing and cost data for Horizon redress schemes in response to committee inquiry. The Department for Business and Trade employs 90 staff across four redress programmes (GLO, Horizon Shortfall Appeals, Convictions Redress, and Capture) with estimated 2025-26 costs of £6.8m, supplemented by approximately 140 contractor staff from Addleshaw Goddard and Dentons, bringing total December 2025 workforce to circa 230.
Key findings
- 90 DBT staff deployed across Horizon redress schemes as of 19 January 2026, with estimated annual cost of £6.8m (combining all four schemes)
- GLO Scheme and Horizon Shortfall Scheme Appeals run as single team with 31 staff (£2.2m annual cost); Horizon Convictions Redress has 24 staff (£1.9m); Capture scheme has 18 staff (£1.3m)
- Approximately 140 external contractors employed via Addleshaw Goddard (61) and Dentons (79) during December 2025, bringing combined workforce to circa 230
- Horizon and Capture schemes managed as single programme with flexible resourcing across schemes; contractor numbers fluctuate monthly based on case volumes
- Dedicated cross-scheme teams for Project Management Office (9 staff), Analysis (14 staff), and Finance (4 staff) supporting multiple redress initiatives
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Blair McDougall MP, Liam Byrne MP, Department for Business and Trade, Addleshaw Goddard, Dentons, Business and Trade Committee
Notable line
“… the combined total of staff and contractors working on redress was circa”
Key Quotes
“I would like to firstly thank you and other Committee members for your continued support and advocacy for Horizon victims.”
“We are running the Horizon and Capture redress schemes as a single programme and have the ability to flex resourcing across different schemes if necessary.”
“… during the month of December, the combined total of staff and contractors working on redress was circa”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗